Two little girls experience a night of sheer terror when they venture out on a Halloween night in 1984 Detroit.

look different from anyone else. She didn’t want me to eat candy, which I loved. We were the kind of people that didn’t just eat one piece of chocolate. My mother wanted to eat everything slow. She took baby steps when she went walking. Momma threw out the old plastic Christmas tree from last year and bought a small baby plant. I think she loved it more than me. She could start all over again and if it wouldn’t grow, at least she could dump it.

I had one day left to find a costume. Momma didn’t have any money and I

couldn’t go to my Grandma because we hadn’t spoken to her in a long time. I didn’t know her telephone number and even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to say. Billie took an old cloak and wrapped it around my shoulders. Her fingers felt cold and stiff but her touch was gentle, comforting.

“Where are we going?” I asked her.

“Back into the city.” She traced the outline of my lips with black marker.

“We can’t go there. It’s too far.”

“You sound like everyone else. Well, why not? Abigail, won’t you even go shopping past Northland?” Billie said. Northland Mall was on the border. Once you passed it, you were in the city again. Billie looked so pretty. Her tiara was a silver color. She knew how to fix her own hair and makeup.

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about us. We’re going out tonight and Halloween is not even until tomorrow.” I looked in the mirror. Billie had made me look like her twin. We both looked ridiculous—Two little girls with too

much makeup on.

“We’re going to meet some boys.”

She was always scheming, Billie. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach and I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was not supposed to be doing this. A voice in my head said that I should be at home, waiting for my mother to come home. Most days she was fine but lately, she said the voices were getting stronger. Billie said that I needed to pray for her, pray that they went away before the cops came and took me away. But I wasn’t going to let that happen and if they tried to,